Arts, housing, childcare dominate development discussion of Somerville's Powder House School

Wednesday

Jul 23, 2014 at 11:56 AMJul 23, 2014 at 11:57 AM

By Monica Jimenezmjimenenez@wickedlocal.com

After a plan to replace the Powder House School with Tufts University offices fell through earlier this year, three local groups are proposing different uses for the property.At a July 21 meeting about the city-owned property at the West Somerville Neighborhood School, resident Resa Blatman talked about her idea to turn the property into workspace for the arts and other creative endeavors, including a possible bike shop and Brooklyn Boulder-type space. Blatman added she is considering the site not just as an applicant, but as a resident interested in the best use of the property for the community."The idea would be to make it a neighborhood destination," said Blatman, whose project is called SmartSpace.The Cooperative Living Project and the Open Center for Children daycare have also expressed interest in the site, Somerville Planning Director George Proakis told the Journal in an email this week, although the Open Center would likely partner with someone rather than use the entire site.Last year, Mayor Joe Curtatone selected Tufts University to develop the property after a civic advisory committee recommended their plan to tear down the former school and replace it with office space and potentially housing. But earlier this year, Curtatone stopped negotiations with Tufts after university officials said they did not plan to develop the property for 15 years. The city plans to issue another request for proposals for interested developers.At the meeting, Proakis cautioned groups to disclose to fellow residents that they are interested in using the property during discussion of priorities for Powderhouse."I love that we have community participants suddenly interested in buying the property, but we should be aware if they’re writing rules for themselves," Proakis said.Art, childcare and cooperative living were among the possible uses residents discussed at the meeting, along with open space and family housing."Whatever happens with the space, it’s an opportunity for the city to be visionary, to maintain and reflect Somerville’s character and the things we like about it," said Nave Gallery Director Susan Berstler, to a round of applause. "It’s not about the money – in 10-20 years, that money will mean nothing. The community benefits and community input is what’s important."At the meeting, Curtatone told residents the work they did with Tufts has not gone to waste."I know the process has gone on for a bit. But the work has not been for naught," Curtatone said. "We’re smarter about some issues and we’ve opened up other opportunities that weren’t present previously."Curtatone added, "We will have a project that’s great for the neighborhood."From the most recent community meeting on the future of Powderhouse, Proakis said he gleaned that community members want at least 40 percent open space, access to the building from Holland Street, a strategy of either adaptive reuse or replacement, and a commitment to collect taxes on the full value of the project, regardless of its use.Community members have also said they want applicants to propose leasing as well as purchasing, to encourage artist live-work spaces or other arts uses, family-size housing and possibly collaborative living for empty nesters, and to reduce the importance of the purchase price and focus more on long-term benefits, Proakis said.Finally, the city is incorporating some of what it learned during the Tufts design process, including addressing the impact to neighbors on Pauline Street and Broadway, Proakis said.Discussing the project in small groups, residents reaffirmed their interest in arts uses, open space, affordable family housing, community benefits and a leasing strategy.Residents delved deeper into these ideas, talking about scattering the buildings and consolidating the open space on the site, and creating specific open space uses such as a dog park, passive park and playground.They talked about inviting long-term rather than shorter leases and avoiding "deadbeat landlords" who end up abandoning the property; using Community Preservation Act (CPA) funding; and creating specific community space that will actually be used.Other ideas discussed at the meeting included introducing a coffee shop, exercise center, childcare center, or culinary use akin to Dave’s Fresh Pasta in Davis Square, and in general supporting uses that don’t detract from Teele Square businesses or create an excessive amount of traffic.Christine Stone said the project should reflect the community."We want to capture everything Somerville has become, in one big space," Stone said.Proakis said he heard the message loud and clear."The idea is we really want to do something different and interesting and not be ordinary here," Proakis said.